Surgical cast with pressure relieving device



June 6, 1967 w E. SCHRAMM 3,323,519

SURGICAL CAST WITH PRESSURE RELIEVING DEVICE Filed July 13, 1964 W/n/frea JMwa/bm I N VEN TOR.

BY (5 l l United States Patent 3,323,51 SURGICAL CAST WITH PRESSURE RELIEVIN G DEVICE Winifred E. Schramm, 2005 Sam Houston Drive, Victoria, Tex. 77901 Filed July 13, 1964, Ser. No. 382,145 3 Claims. (Cl. 128--91) This invention relates to surgical casts and more particularly to casts of the type formed of plaster or the like, which are applied to a limb or other part of a patients body in the treatment of broken or fractured bones or other conditions in which it is desired to hold the part in a fixed or immobilized position.

In the application of casts of this kind it is customary to wrap the affected part in gauze and to apply over the gauze a layer of plaster-of-Paris, the part being maintained in the desired position until the plaster has set. A prepared strip of gauze or other suitable fabric to which the dry plaster has been applied is often used for the purpose of applying the cast to the limb or part, which strip is first dipped in Water and then wound about the part in a wet condition to cause the plaster to set. In applying such a cast considerable judgment must be exercised in winding the plaster carrying material about the limb or part to provide sufiicient tightness to firmly hold the part in the desired position when the plaster has set, without at the same time applying excessive pressure to the part which results in undue interference with the patients circulation and comfort. When a cast has been too tightly applied, or when there is some swelling of the part, it often becomes necessary to cut the cast, or to remove the cast and replace it in order to relieve the pressure.

The present invention has for an important object the provision of a surgical cast in which means is embodied which makes it unnecessary to cut or remove and replace the cast in order to maintain the patient in a comfortable condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a surgical cast in which the pressure exerted on the patients limb or part may be relieved or adjusted after the cast is in place.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a pressure pad formed of resilient material adapted to be positioned within a body of plaster or other relatively rigid cast material between such material and the limb or part of patient enclosed therein and which may be removed from the cast to diminish the pressure exerted thereby.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pressure pad for use in surgical casts, and including means incorporated therewith to permit the pad to be readily removed from the cast for the purpose of relieving or regulating the pressure exerted on the patient by the cast.

The above and other obvious advantages of the invention will best be understood from the following detailed description constituting a specification of the same when considered with the annexed drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the pressure pad of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a surgical cast in accordance with the invention, showing the same applied to a patients limb with the pressure pad of the invention in position in the cast; and

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 2, showing the cast with the pressure pad removed therefrom.

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Referring now to the drawings in greater detail the invention is disclosed herein in connection with its use in the treatment of broken bones, fractures or other conditions of a patient requiring that the limb or part be provided with a cast, splint, or other similar device, to immobilize the part or hold the same in a more or less fixed position. In the present illustration the invention is shown in its application to a patients limb, it being understood that the device is capable of use on other parts or regions of the body for any of a number of different purposes.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1 the pressure pad comprises a body or strip 10 of flexible, resilient mtaerial, such as felt, rubber, plastic foam, or the like, of suitable thickness, enclosed in a thin, flattened, tubular covering or open ended envelope 12, of smooth material such as sheet plastic having attached to one face thereof a strip or backing 14 of gauze or other suitable fabric, as by means of the stitching indicated at 16, or otherwise. The pad may be of any desired shape for the purpose intended,

' the pad illustrated in FIGURE 1 being generally rectangular and elongated. The resilient body 10 is provided at one end with a tab portion 18 which preferably extends beyond one end of the covering 12 in position to be grasped by the physician or nurse and by which the body may be partly or completely removed from the covering by pulling on the tab.

The cast or other dressing in which the pressure pad is incorporated in use may be of the type illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, applied to a patients limb, designated L, and preferably comprises a layer of stockinette 20 enclosing the portion about which the cast is applied and upon which the pad is positioned with the strip or backing 14 in engagement with the exterior of the stockinette, the pad being pressed against the stockinette to conform the pad to the shape of the limb. With the pad thus positioned on the limb, the cast material 24, such as plaster-of-Paris, is applied about the exterior of the stockinette and pad in the usual manner, as by wetting a strip of fabric carrying the plaster and wrapping the wetted strip about the assembly leaving the open end of the covering or envelope 12 exposed with the tab 18 extending freely therefrom. In applying the cast material as much force may be used as may be considered necessary to apply pressure to the limb to cause the cast to hold the limb in the desired position when the cast has set.

When the cast has hardened, should it be found that the cast is too tight for the comfort or welfare of the patient the cast may be loosened to diminish the pressure by pulling out the pad 10 by means of the tab 18.

Due to the smooth character of the envelope 12 and the resilient nature of the pad 10 the pad may be easily pulled out of the envelope, thus obviating the necessity for cutting or otherwise mutilating the casting or removing and replacing the same.

It will be apparent that the pad of the invention may be made in various shapes and of any dimensions to suit the same for use under widely differing conditions and at various locations. By selecting materials of suitable resiliency and making the pad of various; thicknesses the amount of adjustment of the pressure exerted by the cast may be regulated as desired. The pad of the invention may also be used as a pressure regulating device for other forms of dressings not requiring the rigidity of a cast.

It will thus been seen that the invention constructed and applied as described above provides a surgical case which is adjustable to regulate the pressure applied thereby to the limb or other part of the patient and a pressure pad for use in the application of such cases, which is of simple and economical manufacture.

The invention is disclosed herein in connection with particular embodiments of the same, which are intended by way of illustration only, and it will be understood that various modifications can be made in the character and arrangement of the parts within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a surgical cast the combination with a mass of rigid cast forming material surrounding a part of a patients body, of a pressure pad disposed in the mass in contact with said part comprising an element of resilient material of substantially uniform thickness conforming to the external shape of the part, a thin covering of smooth, impervious, sheet-like material in which the element is slidably disposed and having an open end exposed to the exterior of the mass through which the element is extended and a layer of resilient material underlying said covering and adapted to be disposed between said covering and said part.

2'. In a surgical cast the combination with a mass of rigid cast forming material surrounding a part of a patients body, of a pressure pad disposed in the mass in contact with said part comprising a generally rectangular element of resilient material of substantially uniform thickness conforming to the external shape of the part, a thin covering of smooth, impervious, sheet-like material having an open end exposed to the exterior of the mass in which the element is slidably disposed with a portion of the element extending outwardly beyond said open end and a layer of resilient material underlying said covering and adapted to be disposed between said covering and said part.

3. In a surgical cast the combination with a mass of rigid cast forming material surrounding a part of a patients body, of a pressure pad disposed in the mass in contact with said part comprising a generally rectangular flexible element of resilient material of substantially uniform thickness extending substantially from end to end of the mass, a thin covering of smooth, impervious, sheetlike material having an open end exposed to the exterior of the mass at one end thereof in which the element is slidably disposed with a portion of the element extending outwardly beyond said open end and a layer of resilient material underlying said covering and adapted to be disposed between the covering and said part.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,884,927 10/1932 Van Raalte 12891 2,190,016 2/1940 Day etal. 128-91 2,230,781 2/1941 Longfellow 128-91 2,454,836 11/1948 Rayner 128 80 2,926,661 3/1960 Hipps l2880 FOREIGN PATENTS 334,230 8/1930 Great Britain.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

J. W. HINEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SURGICAL CAST THE COMBINATION WITH A MASS OF RIGID CAST FORMING MATERIAL SURROUNDING A PART OF A PATIENT''S BODY, OF A PRESSURE PAD DISPOSED IN THE MASS IN CONTACT WITH SAID PART COMPRISING AN ELEMENT OF RESILIENT MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS CONFORMING TO THE EXTERNAL SHAPE OF THE PART, A THIN COVERING OF SMOOTH, IMPERVIOUS, SHEET-LIKE MATERIAL IN WHICH THE ELEMENT IS SLIDABLY DISPOSED AND HAVING AN OPEN END EXPOSED TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE MASS THROUGH WHICH THE ELEMENT IS EXTENDED AND A LAYER OF RESILIENT MATERIAL UNDERLYING SAID COVERING AND ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID COVERING AND SAID PART. 